Video: ALPINA B7 at Laguna Seca

Another product introduced at Laguna Seca was the facelifted and slightly updated ALPINA B7. To test its capabilities, we took the B7 for a spin …

Another product introduced at Laguna Seca was the facelifted and slightly updated ALPINA B7. To test its capabilities, we took the B7 for a spin around the track and the nearly 5,000 pounds car has surprised us while putting a smile on our faces. A full on track review will follow.

The new B7 produces 540 horsepower, 40 more than the outgoing model. On top of this, the B7 gets 22 lb-ft more torque (up to 538 from 516 lb-ft) thanks to the addition of BMW’s Valvetronic throttle-less intake technology and a new ALPINA 8-speed high performance transmission. Top speed is extended to 194 mph (drag-limited, 193 mph with xDrive), up from the previous 175 mph. Acceleration drops into the low-mid-4-second range for all variants (4.3-4.4 seconds).

The addition of the 8-speed ZF transmission, coupled with the start/stop technology, improves the fuel consumption by an estimated ten percent.